diff --git a/sphinx/builder.py b/sphinx/builder.py
index d91adab7a..159fe8038 100644
--- a/sphinx/builder.py
+++ b/sphinx/builder.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from docutils.frontend import OptionParser
 from docutils.readers.doctree import Reader as DoctreeReader
 
 from sphinx import addnodes, locale, __version__
-from sphinx.util import ensuredir, relative_uri, SEP, os_path, texescape
+from sphinx.util import ensuredir, relative_uri, SEP, os_path, texescape, ustrftime
 from sphinx.htmlhelp import build_hhx
 from sphinx.htmlwriter import HTMLWriter, HTMLTranslator, SmartyPantsHTMLTranslator
 from sphinx.textwriter import TextWriter
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ class StandaloneHTMLBuilder(Builder):
         # typically doesn't include the time of day
         lufmt = self.config.html_last_updated_fmt
         if lufmt is not None:
-            self.last_updated = time.strftime(lufmt or _('%b %d, %Y'))
+            self.last_updated = ustrftime(lufmt or _('%b %d, %Y'))
         else:
             self.last_updated = None
 
diff --git a/sphinx/environment.py b/sphinx/environment.py
index bcacc541e..be9576c02 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ from docutils.transforms import Transform
 from docutils.transforms.parts import ContentsFilter
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
-from sphinx.util import get_matching_docs, SEP
+from sphinx.util import get_matching_docs, SEP, ustrftime
 from sphinx.directives import additional_xref_types
 
 default_settings = {
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class DefaultSubstitutions(Transform):
                 text = config[refname]
                 if refname == 'today' and not text:
                     # special handling: can also specify a strftime format
-                    text = time.strftime(config.today_fmt or _('%B %d, %Y'))
+                    text = ustrftime(config.today_fmt or _('%B %d, %Y'))
                 ref.replace_self(nodes.Text(text, text))
 
 
diff --git a/sphinx/latexwriter.py b/sphinx/latexwriter.py
index ec6d86989..80ac8c306 100644
--- a/sphinx/latexwriter.py
+++ b/sphinx/latexwriter.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 import re
 import sys
 from os import path
-from time import strftime
 
 from docutils import nodes, writers
 from docutils.writers.latex2e import Babel
@@ -23,6 +22,7 @@ from docutils.writers.latex2e import Babel
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx import highlighting
 from sphinx.locale import admonitionlabels, versionlabels
+from sphinx.util import ustrftime
 from sphinx.util.texescape import tex_escape_map
 from sphinx.util.smartypants import educateQuotesLatex
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
             'pointsize':    builder.config.latex_font_size,
             # if empty, the title is set to the first section title
             'title':        document.settings.title,
-            'date':         strftime(builder.config.today_fmt or _('%B %d, %Y')),
+            'date':         ustrftime(builder.config.today_fmt or _('%B %d, %Y')),
             'release':      builder.config.release,
             'author':       document.settings.author,
             'releasename':  _('Release'),
@@ -174,7 +174,12 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
                                     path.basename(builder.config.latex_logo)
         if builder.config.language:
             babel = ExtBabel(builder.config.language)
-            self.elements['classoptions'] += ',' + babel.get_language()
+            lang = babel.get_language()
+            if lang:
+                self.elements['classoptions'] += ',' + babel.get_language()
+            else:
+                self.builder.warn('no Babel option known for language %r' %
+                                  builder.config.language)
             self.elements['shorthandoff'] = babel.get_shorthandoff()
             self.elements['fncychap'] = '\\usepackage[Sonny]{fncychap}'
         else:
diff --git a/sphinx/util/__init__.py b/sphinx/util/__init__.py
index bf9c45eb6..13b53ac7f 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import sys
+import time
 import fnmatch
 import tempfile
 import traceback
@@ -276,3 +277,8 @@ def nested_parse_with_titles(state, content, node):
     state.nested_parse(content, 0, node, match_titles=1)
     state.memo.title_styles = surrounding_title_styles
     state.memo.section_level = surrounding_section_level
+
+
+def ustrftime(format, *args):
+    # strftime for unicode strings
+    return time.strftime(unicode(format).encode('utf-8'), *args).decode('utf-8')